Manufacturing Plant Manager

Xylem; Rockford (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Xylem in Rockford, IL seeks a tenured manufacturing leader to step into the Plant Manager role and drive site performance. Ideal candidates will bring a chemical manufacturing background and a track record of safety, quality, delivery, and cost improvements.

The Plant Manager will translate corporate objectives into actionable priorities, build a high‑performing team, and lead continuous improvement initiatives that scale with growth while developing talent and fostering an inclusive culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in a relevant field.
• Significant progressive leadership experience in operations, manufacturing, or industrial environments, including direct responsibility for site or plant performance.
• Proven success leading teams and improving results across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity metrics.
• Strong experience with operational excellence, continuous improvement, and performance management systems.
• Proven ability to lead through complexity, drive change, and build alignment across multiple functions.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect operational execution to broader commercial and strategic goals.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Experience developing talent, building strong teams, and creating a culture of accountability and engagement.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Rockford operating team with full accountability for site performance and operational results.
• Translate division and business objectives into clear operating priorities, action plans, and performance expectations.
• Drive execution against key operational goals related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Establish a high-performance operating culture focused on accountability, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.
• Support business growth by aligning operating capabilities, capacity, and execution with customer and market needs.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance productivity, flow, and quality.
• Build and reinforce structured problem-solving and performance management practices.
• Advance operational excellence by improving processes, standard work, and visual management.
• Identify opportunities to simplify operations and improve scalability in support of business objectives.
• Lead, coach, and develop operations leaders and teams across the site.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Operational leadership

Safety focus

Quality management

Continuous improvement

People leadership

Talent development

Cross-functional

Decision making

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Lean manufacturing

Job description

Xylem continues to grow, build and looking for a tenured manufacturing professional who can drive results and servant leader. The ideal candidate will have a background in chemical manufacturing or related fields.

Ideal candidate will be someone looking to be a Plant Manager as the next position, come from a mid-size company and have a degree in engineering (Chemical preferred).

Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Lead the Rockford operating team with full accountability for site performance and operational results.
• Translate division and business objectives into clear operating priorities, action plans, and performance expectations.
• Drive execution against key operational goals related to safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity.
• Establish a high-performance operating culture focused on accountability, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.
• Support business growth by aligning operating capabilities, capacity, and execution with customer and market needs.

Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost Performance

• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure safety remains a visible and uncompromising priority across the operation.
• Lead efforts to improve quality performance, reduce variability, and strengthen process discipline throughout manufacturing and operational workflows.
• Improve on-time delivery and operational reliability through effective planning, execution, and issue resolution.
• Drive cost competitiveness through waste reduction, productivity improvement, and disciplined resource management.
• Monitor and improve site KPIs and operating metrics, using data-driven decision-making to prioritize actions and sustain gains.

Continuous Improvement and Operational Excellence

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance productivity, flow, quality, and overall site performance.
• Build and reinforce structured problem-solving, root cause analysis, and performance management practices.
• Advance operational excellence by improving processes, standard work, visual management, and management operating systems.
• Identify opportunities to simplify operations, remove barriers, and improve scalability in support of business objectives.

People Leadership and Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop operations leaders and functional team members across the site.
• Build organizational capability through succession planning, talent development, and strong performance management.
• Foster an inclusive, team-oriented environment where employees are engaged, respected, and empowered to contribute.
• Set clear expectations and create alignment around priorities, behaviors, and results.
• Support change leadership efforts that strengthen culture, improve performance, and build long-term organizational resilience.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience in a relevant field.
• Significant progressive leadership experience in operations, manufacturing, or industrial environments, including direct responsibility for site or plant performance.
• Demonstrated success leading teams and improving results across safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity metrics.
• Strong experience with operational excellence, continuous improvement, and performance management systems.
• Proven ability to lead through complexity, drive change, and build alignment across multiple functions.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect operational execution to broader commercial and strategic goals.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
• Experience developing talent, building strong teams, and creating a culture of accountability and engagement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree or additional professional training in operations, engineering, business, or a related discipline.
• Experience in a multi-functional manufacturing environment with a strong emphasis on operational rigor and customer delivery.
• Background in lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, or other structured operational excellence methodologies.
• Experience leading through transformation, business growth, or operational scale-up.
• Demonstrated ability to influence at senior leadership levels and drive enterprise-wide collaboration.